Chapter 3
“Wow... this is just terrible.”
Time Turner and Derpy trotted over broken boards and collapsed signs as they took a look around the wreckage of the marketplace. Shop owners had gathered to mourn the loss of their work, and a few had begun gathering up the scraps of their stands.
The mayor walked up behind them, going to Turner and saying, “We’re at least lucky no one was injured in the mess. Stands can be rebuilt and food can be grown, but if a single pony was injured because of this... it would be unfortunate.”
Derpy approached one pile of wood in particular, and rummaged through the debris. She managed to find something there: a crumbled, crushed muffin, the blueberries visible in the dent made from the plank that was on it. “Souflay’s stand. I’d always stop by on my route, and he’d give me a fresh muffin right out of the oven.” She looked around, wondering if she could spy him anywhere. “Where is he?”
“He’s fine,” Mayor Mare asured her. “He’s gotten a few days off until we can sort through this. Don’t worry, though. Those affected will be paid accordingly for the damages.”
“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
They turned to the sound of agony coming from none other than Time Turner. Derpy ran to his side and asked, “What? What’s wrong?”
“Why... why, why, why... out of every single thing here... DID THIS SURVIVE?!”
Confused, she turned her direction in front of him. What he was cursing was a stand on wheels, but not just any stand. This stand sold a certain type of fruit... pears.
“Isn’t it just some kind of luck? Why couldn’t the cherry stand survive instead? I could at least make a good pun from that. But no. We get pears.” He actually sounded devastated by this.
Derpy couldn’t understand his fixation on this fruit, but her train of thought changed when she noticed the stand next to them. A familiar sign was sticking out of the ground, and when she went to move it over, she was saddened to know who it belonged to. “Oh no...”
Time Turner stopped his tirade against the evil pears to notice what was making his companion upset. As he approached the wreckage himself, he saw the sign was decorated rather beautifully with a golden paint, making extravagant symbols as it formed around a single apple. “The Apple Family’s stand.” A closer inspection revealed the sign to be surrounded by various types of apple delicacies - pies, tarts, fritters, and even some jars once filled with juice - now crushed and destroyed under the weight of what they once rested upon.
“This is so sad,” Derpy said, both eyes focused on the mess.
“Well they can rebuild the stand, of course. Plus, the desserts and such can be remade. Last time I checked, apples DO grow on trees around here.”
“That’s not the sad part... wait. Why are you so sentimental about the apples? Doesn’t one a day keep the Doctor away?” She crossed one hoof over another.
He gave her a look of annoyance “Oh c’mon, Derpy. You know I don’t hate apples.” Under his breath, he whispered, “If I ever find who came up with that phrase...”
“But that’s not what’s sad about it.”
He redirected his attention back to her, now curious on what she meant by that. “You see... that stand... that stand was-”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
Whatever Derpy was about to say was cut short by a loud cry coming from the mayor. They immediately rushed to her side. With her now was a white mare with black hair that Time Turner believed to be her assistant. The mayor herself appeared to be in distress, panting heavily with panic in her eyes.
“What is it?! What’s wrong?” Derpy tried comforting the panicking political leader, but all attempts to calm her down seem to fail.
“Eh geh geh,” she said. “Hah blah tr-tro... rooooooo roy-roy...”
Turner turned to the assistant and asked, “What’s wrong with her?”
“I-I’m not sure... all I did was tell her that preparations were ready for the representative from Trottingham-”
The mayor, in a burst of fear, screamed, “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!” Frantically, she zipped back and forth between the two ponies, screaming, “How could I possibly forget something as important as this?! A representative from the city of Trottingham is visiting Ponyville on their path to Canterlot. When they arrive, they’re going to see... THIS!!!” She motioned to the surrounding area.
“W-well...” Turner tried to think of something to calm her down. “He might not mind-”
“I don’t want to risk that! If he sees this, it could be an embarrassment on royal levels. Quite literally!” She looked around. “Why are you all just standing around?! Pick up plywood and hurry!!!” She grabbed a plank in her mouth, and threw it in a nearby trash can. She continued to do this pattern, clearing an area of debris.
“Right! No job’ll be done from standin’ around shooting the breeze. C’mon, Derpy!” He led his friend back to the pile they were at before, and proceeded to follow in the mayor’s example.
Derpy wanted to focus on the job at hand, but something was eating at her for a while now. The stallion moving the boards into sections on what to pick first was just about to tell her something before this mess was their responsibility. Now that they were at peace again, maybe it was time for her to see what he was going to do. “Um... Doctor?”
Turner spit a piece of wood into a nearby dumpster. “Yes?”
“R-remember when we were at my house?”
“You mean ten minutes ago? Yeah.”
“W-well...” She didn’t know if she wanted to know now. What if he wasn’t trying to say what she thought he was? Maybe it would be best to not ask.
On the other hand she already had his attention, and she asked about this morning. If she withdrew now, he would only ask more questions. She knew that she had to face her fears and make him answer her. She must! This could be her only chance! She took a breath and calmly asked, “DOCTORWHATWEREYOUGOINGTOASKMEEARLIER?!?!”
Dead silence. At least she meant for that to be calm. She was lucky the mayor wasn’t around for that, otherwise she’d have to explain when Time Turner got a medical degree.
“Uh...,” Turner said, wide-eyed and confused, “it doesn’t really matter now. The moment’s passed.”
“Well, you see, I was just curious since we were interrupted when you were trying to ask me, and now that we’re...” She quickly looked around, noticing all those helping with clean up around her. “...alone... how about you ask me now.”
“Eh... I don’t think it really matters anymore. It’s not really the time now, anyway.”
She was beginning to become impatient. “Well let’s pretend hypothetically that we were still at my house,” She leaned in a bit when she said hypothetically. “Why don’t you ask what you were going to ask, and I’ll answer it as if we were going to do it right now.” There was an awkward silence. “Just hypothetically speaking, of course.”
He appeared to be thinking about it for a moment, but finally he said. “Okay then! Let’s give it a go, shall we?” He held up a hoof to his mouth, and coughed to clear his throat. “Well then, Derpy! Here we are at your house!”
He was actually going to act like they were at her house. This should be interesting, she thought. “Yeah... Doctor. Well I... guess I better be going now!”
“Oh! Wait! While you’re here, I was wanting to ask you something.”
“Yes?!” She started twitching in anticipation.
“I mean, us being together right now, I don’t feel like I shouldn’t ask.”
“Yes?!?!”
“Derpy... I was wondering if you-”
His ears perked up. Turning to face behind him, he said, “...heard something just now?”
“YES!!!”
“Good. I thought it was just me.” He broke out into a sprint between two tents. “C’mon. We’ll be back to work on the wreckage before Mrs. Mare even notices.”
As Turner disappeared from sight, Derpy stood there with a smile on her face and confusion in her head. Shaking it out, she unfurled her wings, took off from the ground, and followed the clueless Time Lord. “Wait for me, Doctor!” Maybe she could get it out of him later...
---
“We’re almost there!”
“I can see that.” Maybe it was unfair that the Doctor was taller than Apple Bloom by so much, because he was able to see the small town just ahead. If he heard Apple Bloom correctly, the town was called “Ponyville”, which to him still sounded like a strangely straightforward name for a village of ponies.
Still, he was excited to finally make it. The short walk almost felt like it took four months from all his excitement. A new species to familiarize himself with, and he can do it while blending in to the people. One thought came to mind, though. “Apple Bloom? You did say there were ponies who look like the filter does, right?”
“Uh... yeah?”
“Well... I was wondering about the ratio of ponies like this versus ponies like you. That way I can get a better understanding of how to act. Should I be careful of what I say, or could I run into the streets, wings unfurled? Honestly, I’d probably do that, anyway, even if it was a big ratio.”
She was afraid of this. He’s asking about alicorns, which Apple Bloom’s pretty sure is a rare breed. Telling the truth might stop him from entering town... and on the other hoof, that could be a good thing. If he’s really so unused to being around other ponies, then he could end up looking stupid and blow his cover. If she can get it out of the way, that might not be a problem. “Hey, Doc?”
“What is it, Apple Bloom?”
“APPLE BLOOM!”
The shriek of young voices were heard as two fillies ran up to the two. Apple Bloom was surprised, as she was sure Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle would’ve been off doing CMC-related activities. “Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? What are y’all doin’ runnin’ like that?”
They stopped in their tracks, took a moment to catch their breaths, and Scootaloo said, “We came to see if you were alright. I got Sweetie Belle to calm down enough to do more crusading!”
“By ‘calming down’,” said Sweetie, “she means she threw things at me until I moved again.” She rubbed a sore spot on her head.
“It worked, right?” Scootaloo asked. Looking back to Apple Bloom, she looked up and froze. Sweetie Belle, taking attention away from her throbbing head, did the same. Both fillies dropped their chins at the large creature before them.
‘Well it was too late to turn back,’ Apple Bloom thought. The filter thing must’ve not worked or something, because they were acting way too over the top for seeing an alicorn. “So you see my friend here, huh?”
“You’re... you’re...” Scootaloo said to the Doctor, still blankly staring. The Doctor was actually feeling a bit nervous himself at this point. Was the design of the perception filter just not believable enough?
Sweetie finally was the one to speak up. “You’re... you’re a PRINCE!”
“Ah know, girls, but you’ve got to understand he’s.... a what?”
Sweetie and Scootaloo rushed up to the desguised Time Lord, and Scootaloo said, “I can’t believe you’ve actually made friends with a prince, Apple Bloom!”
Even though a bit surprised by the two kid’s words, the Doctor managed to work something out that Apple Bloom failed to mention: ponies this size and with these features did exist. Those ponies, though, were royalty. Now that these two have seen him, he’ll just have to adjust to the situation. “Quite right, she is!” he blurted to Apple Bloom’s surprise. “I met Apple Bloom here right outside Ponyville, and since I was already headed there, I figured, ‘Eh. What the he... ck?’” Have to watch the language around impressionable children. “So me and her got to talking, and now we’re best of friends. Isn’t that right, Apple Bloom?”
She couldn’t make words anymore. Everything coming out of her mouth was white noise. What was this guy doing?!
“Wow!” Scootaloo said, completely believing the clever lies. “So why are you coming to Ponyville, anyway? Making plans to meet the princess in Canterlot?”
Canterlot? The Doctor smirked at the pun, intentional or not. “Uh, yes! Of course, seeing as how Canterlot is... on the way?” He glanced at Apple Bloom. She was able to force out a nod. “... I thought that I would stop by Ponyville and get to know the townsfolk. Take in the culture, eat the food, all of that good stuff!”
“That’s so cool!” Sweetie said, incredibly happy to meet the ‘prince’.
Apple Bloom was recovering, but still completely surprised. This was actually happening! Her friends were believing the crazy talk of a madman!
“Do you mind if we escort you the rest of the way to town Prince...” Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin. “Actually, I don’t know your name.”
“Yeah, what’s your name, your highness?”
“Oh, excuse my rudeness. I’m the Do- uh, I mean, uh...” What would his name be? I mean, I suppose his name could be “The Doctor”, but Prince Doctor seems a bit silly to him.
Apple Bloom was also feeling the pressure. Quickly, she tried to think of a good fake name for the guy. ‘Let’s see... hourglass cutie mark... thing for watches... blue box he called a time machine...’ Light bulb!
“Uh... my name... is...”
“Prince Chronos!” Apple Bloom appeared out of nowhere, surprising the Doctor. “His name is Prince Chronos.”
“Chronos?” Doctor asked. Apple Bloom nudged him with her hoof. “I mean, Chronos! Yeah, that's it. I am Prince Chronos. A pleasure to meet both of you!”
Sweetie and Scootaloo both smiled, and Sweetie said, “It’s nice to meet you, too, Mr. Chronos!”
“C’mon!” said Scootaloo. “We’re almost to town!”
“Hehe...” Doctor got to a knee, and whispered to Apple Bloom. “Chronos? Really?”
“You were dying there,” she responded. “Besides, it fits. You’ve got that whole ‘time’ thing after all.”
“Yeah, but I could’ve come up with a better name than that! Like, I don’t know, uh... Clockson! That’s a cool name!”
Apple Bloom was happy she didn’t leave the naming to him. "Yer Chronos."
"Fine."
“Hey! Are you coming or not?” They looked up, and the two crusaders were staring at the two, waiting.
The Doctor, ready more than ever, hopped back up and said, “Coming!” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but wonder if this was going to end well for them, seeing as how weird the man was. Then she overheard the Doctor talking: “See I was just wondering, why do you assume I’m going to meet with a princess? Wouldn’t it make more sense to visit the queen?” This wasn’t going to end well at all.
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Yesssssss....MOAR please!
Finally! A story in the feature box about the Doctor. Now I have found happiness.
Darn it! now I need to wait for several more months for a new chapter to come out!
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been waiting so long for this update!!!!!
AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!
This story is glorious.
xD
OHMAHGERD! it updated!
Too much telling, story seems to elaborate on certain details but refuse to give information on the ones that the reader wants to know. (Works good with cliffhangers or foreshadowing, but if you're going to do that at least throw the reader a hint) Chapter also made references to characters that aren't immediately grasped. (The purple maned filly... is that Sweetie Belle or Scoot?) Not good if you want to keep the reader in the "now" part of the story.
I love Doctor Who fics, but perhaps you could polish this a bit.
2271620 more likely after doctor who finishes
Yes! Another chapter!
Yey.
2272117 I know sometimes vagueness on certain details can be annoying, but it's a method I use to keep things hidden until I feel it's ready to. Also, the reference thing I understand. I'm actually new to using that type of identifier in stories. I know I'm not the best writer, and it does still need polishing, but I hope I can improve, and that my stories can at least entertain with what they are for now. Thanks for the critique.
That's it.
I C You~~
Give me an A grade for this
2272581 An A for you. Fixed.
Oh, Apple Bloom... this can only end in disaster.
I'm not sure which would be more amusing: to have Celestia see right through "Prince Chronos," or to have her fall for the filter completely and get baffled by the sudden appearance of another alicorn.
Five bits say that Celestia will see right through his Somebody Else's Problem Field, or more commonly known in the Who-niverse, Persecption Filters.
2273458
I vote for the second option! The Princess and The Time Lord, wouldn't it be just SO cute?
Oh, cool, you aren't dead.
I hope this isn't just a pony version of "The Other Doctor" one of the few episodes i've had the chance to see
2275457
It's not.
2277067
Oh good. Well, I wish yo good luck and inspired writing
2277126 You know I'm the author of this story and not Lithl, right?
2277187
MY brain ceases to function on occasion. Somehow, the lack of purple did not penetrate it at that particular point in time
So you decided to update a chapter?
Still good chapter, I really dig. Don't be late with the next one though, or...
Have anice day.
2272120
But, the new season is coming at the end of the month...And the Doctor is scared...
Need moar! I love it.
wait....if turner is the 10th, and "Chronos" is the 11th.......shouldn't the TARDIS be in a comatose state and then the moment they see each other evil demons will devour everything?
heh just for sh*ts and giggles you should have the 9th doctor show up
why? cause the 9th was pretty awesome!
Oh this is gold
no!!! doctor no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2333706
And the fact that the new thumbnail has Matt Smith on it, along with Whooves.
2334518
Probably just like some random picture
2335951
Random?It was drawn for this fic, given the art style and the title written on it.
2336130
Yeah it was just sarcasm. 
2336140
Ah. Didn't know that. It's very hard to convey sarcasm using text unless you use italics.
For some reason I didn't upvote this story earlier... odd. Well, I have now.
Hmm, a lot of my stories aren't telling me they updated.
Well, I can only say, with a name like Chronos, you are asking for trouble.
oh go this is not going to end well
So I'm assuming this story is dead
2273695 10 bits says that doctor whooves will at least know a perception filter when he sees one. Or maybe even see right through it.
This...
This is inspired.
MORE!
You wouldn't happen to maybe be planning another chapter for this would you?
i feel lke when they get into town square the doctor will see the pear stand and just go
pears.... and it will be dead silent and doctor whooves is gonna walk in nodding agreenment and go bat s-illy noticing th "prince"
please tell me you going to continue
oh crumbs, there's got to be more to come, right? as much as i dislike endings (bad ones especially), i can't help but want something other than cliffhangers, at least so soon into a story. Please consider continuing this.